Details:

The National College for Educational Leadership (NCEL) has launched five innovative programmes and products designed to enhance the leadership capacity of educators and school administrators.

These are ‘Leadership Footprints’, ‘Leadership in Action: A Practical Guide to Transform Schools’, ‘Leadership 360, Financial Leadership and Management in Schools’ and ‘Introduction to School and System Leadership’.

They were unveiled on Thursday (March 20) by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Dr. Kasan Troupe, and NCEL Interim Principal/Director, Keriffe Clark, during the College’s Leadership Day, which was held at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Regional Headquarters in St. Andrew.

Moderator, Brithney Clarke, who outlined details of each initiative, said the Leadership Footprints programme takes a grassroots approach to leadership development and transformation.

It is intended to engage critical stakeholders in matters impacting the success of schools and the education sector from a leadership perspective.

“Leadership Footprints is designed to create a platform where all stakeholders, regardless of geographical location in Jamaica, are provided with an opportunity to be engaged in leadership discourses and strategies to support school improvements,” Ms. Clarke said.

‘Leadership in Action: A Practical Guide to Transform Schools’ will assist school leaders to effectively transform their institutions into high-performing, inclusive, physically and emotionally safe environments where critical stakeholders thrive.

“This workbook combines frameworks and templates to lead and manage organisational change, design leadership interventions that are contextually relevant, measure impact and sustain effective practices in schools,” Ms. Clarke shared.

The Leadership 360 initiative is designed to provide a holistic view of education transformation and equip pre- and in-service educational leaders with the knowledge and tools needed to effectively exercise greater levels of leadership for a better society.

Ms. Clarke said this initiative will also focus on system and school leadership, community engagement and partnerships and national development.

Financial Leadership and Management in Schools aims to expose participants to critical financial leadership and management principles, equip them with the knowledge and skills to undertake effective financial leadership and management and promote greater levels of financial accountability in schools.

NCEL will also offer an introductory course to school and system leadership.

New teachers will be targeted for this course as NCEL believes they must be engaged in leadership discourses and reflective practices to align themselves within varying school contexts, while responding to the dynamics of an evolving education system.